Blair increasingly isolated as policy chief jumps ship

Tony Blair's increasing isolation in the dying days of his Premiership is being heightened by an exodus of key aides and advisers, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Matthew Taylor, Number 10's policy chief, is poised to quit for a new job as executive director of the Royal Society of Arts.

Several other senior figures have already left Downing Street ahead of an expected takeover by Gordon Brown.

Downing Street had been desperate to keep a lid on Mr Taylor's exit until after Labour's annual conference later this month.

There is increasing pressure on the Prime Minister to set out a clear timetable for his departure ahead of the conference - and news of senior aides quitting will add to the sense that his regime has not much longer left to run.

One source said people were leaving Number Ten 'like rats from a sinking ship' ahead of a clearout expected when the Chancellor takes power. The source said Mr Taylor was expected to take up his new post in October.

Mr Taylor confirmed he was in talks with the RSA but said any announcement about his future was several weeks away.

He told the Daily Mail: 'It's not useful for me to talk about this now. It will all be clarified one way or another in the next few weeks.'

Huw Evans, another veteran of the New Labour machine, is also understood to be jumping ship. Mr Evans, who has been one of Mr Blair's most loyal Government aides over the last decade, is said to be leaving to take up a lucrative new post at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Mr Evans, who was David Blunkett's spin doctor at the Home Office, was drafted in to Downing Street's flagship strategic communications unit at Downing Street after last year's General Election.

In another setback, Ivan Rogers, Mr Blair's principal private secretary and a civil servant since 1986, has left to take up a job at finance giant Citigroup.

Badly exposed

Mr Blair had already been left badly exposed by the decision of Baroness Morgan to stand down as the director of political and government relations last year.

A crucial member of the Prime Minister's inner circle, she acted as a trusted go-between with his Cabinet ministers and is widely considered never to have been adequately replaced.

Pat McFadden, another key adviser, left Downing Street last year to become an MP, and has since been made a minister at the Cabinet Office.

Godric Smith - the respected civil servant who served first as official spokesman then director of strategy - quit earlier this year.

Jonathan Powell, Mr Blair's chief of staff, is now the last survivor of the inner circle of advisers who were at Mr Blair's side when he won power nine years ago.

Mr Blair's remaining aides are said to be split over whether he should announce a timetable for his departure at or ahead of the party conference.

Even formerly loyal MPs appear impatient for him to make his intentions known amid concern that the party is in a dangerous state of limbo.

One senior backbencher joined the chorus yesterday for Mr Blair to set out a firm timetable 'sooner rather than later'.

Dr Howard Stoate said uncertainty over Tony Blair's intentions was causing divisions in the party and obscuring key policy issues.

He warned Labour's annual conference was set to be dominated by 'endless speculation' about the leadership.

Yesterday, former Home Secretary Charles Clarke warned Mr Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown that infighting could help the Conservatives at the next General Election.

And Labour former minister Don Touhig said the leadership question was 'bleeding the Labour Party at its heart'.

Dr Stoate said: 'There is no doubt that uncertainty has led to distraction and infighting, which I think is unnecessary.

'I am beginning to come round to the view that we do need a firm timetable because we can't go on with endless speculation